Caring for your Christmas Tree

Did you know that Thomas Edison created the very first strand of electric lights in 1880?  Unfortunately, they didn’t really catch on for Christmas trees until 1917 when a young man named Albert Sadacca suggested that his family’s store start selling brightly colored strands of Christmas lights.  So how did they light their Christmas trees before 1917?  Well they would just use candles – which ultimately led to many home fires.

That practice seems incredibly silly to us today; we’d never dream of placing a burning candle anywhere close to a dried-out tree.  Yet we make other choices that put our homes at risk for fire – things like leaving Christmas lights on while we’re gone or asleep, failing to regularly water our Christmas trees, and connecting too many lights together on one strand.

Mike Feudale with A Cleaner World’s Restoration Dry Cleaning Division wants you to have a safe and happy Holiday Season, so he offers the following suggestions:

• Select the freshest tree you can find.  It is ideal to purchase a tree that is still growing and cut it yourself, but unfortunately that isn’t an option for the majority of us.  If you are like me and have to purchase your tree pre-cut from a lot, make sure it is still healthy.
• Before taking your tree inside, choose a location away from heat sources and direct sunlight.  It’s a good idea to place some plastic sheeting down underneath the stand to catch any water that might drip onto your rug or carpet when watering. 
• Take your tree and repeatedly drop the trunk on an outdoor surface several times so that any old, dry needles can fall off.
• Next, be sure to give it a fresh cut.  A Christmas tree that has sat on a lot for several days has a clogged vascular system.  Just cutting off ¼ inch off the bottom removes the clogs and opens the vascular system up, allowing it to soak up water once again.  It’s ok to cut more if you need to.
• Once it is inside and situated, it’s ready to decorate.  Before placing them on your tree, make certain your lights are in good condition.  Never use light strands with frayed cords, and be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions as to how many strings you can connect together.  Also, avoid overloading your outlets.
• Fill the tree stand with water as soon as possible after you give the tree a fresh cut.  While your tree is up, check its water level twice a day, making sure it never runs out of water.
• Always unplug your Christmas tree’s lights and all other holiday decorations before leaving home or going to bed.
• Finally, make sure your smoke detectors are in working order.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to shoot us an e-mail at wildwednesday@acleanerworld.com.  Have a Merry Christmas.